FrogLog Vol. 97 | July 20 11|1
www.amphibians.org
Sub-Saharan Africa
Regional updates and latests research.
Re gio n a l Fo cu s
INSIDE
News from the ASG
Regional Updates
Global Focus
Recent Publications
General Announcements
And More...
FrogLog
An o th e r
“Lo s t Fro g”
Fo u n d .
Ansonia latidisca
found
in Borneo
AS A
The Amphibian Survival Alliance is launched
News from the herpetological community
July 20 11 Vol. 97
Le p t o p e li s b a r b o u r i
p h o to ta ke n a t U d zu n gw a Mo u n ta in s , Ta n za n ia
4
The Amphibian Survival Alliance
4
ASG International Seed Grant Winners 20 11
6
Lost Frog found!
8
Five Years of Habitat Protection for Amphibians
Recent Publications 54
| Meetings
68
| Internships & J obs
68
Funding Opportunities 70
| Author Instructions
72
CONTENTS
FrogLog
10
News from Regional Groups
15
Kihansi Spray Toad
Re-introduction Guidelines
15
Biogeography of West African
amphibian assemblages
16
The green heart of Africa is a blind
spot in herpetology
17
Amphibians as indicators for
the restoration of degraded tropical
forests
18
Life-bearing toads on amisty
mountain
20
Unravelling the mysteries of Lake
Oku, where the frog is “Fon” (king)
23
Adaptation or extinction –
anurans along altitudinal and
degradation gradients in southwestern
Cameroon
23
Re-Visiting the Frogs and Toads of
Zimbabwe
24
Amatola Toad AWOL: Thirteen
years of futile searches
25
Atypical breeding patterns
observed in the Okavango Delta
26
Eight years of Giant Bullfrog
research revealed
28
Struggling against domestic
exotics at the southern end of Africa
31
Monitoring of the endangered
Hewitt’s ghost frog
31
Frog Monitoring in the Western
Cape
33
Madagascar and Chytrid news
34
Association Mitsinjo: Captive
breeding program
34
Overview of the implementation of
Sahonagasy Action plan
35
Species Conservation Strategy for
the Golden Mantella
36
Ankaratra massif
38
Brief note on the most threatened
Amphibian species from Madagascar
39
Fohisokina project:
Implementation of
Mantella cowani
action plan
40
Discovering Ecuador’s
five-hundredth Amphibian
43
Abc Taxa as a highway to the
build-up of taxonomic capacity
44
Cheery, the true adventures of a
Chiricahua Leopard frog
45
Costal sand-dune habitats,
frog-bromeliad relationship and
conservation in Rio de J aneiro, Brazil
47
Invasive plants and amphibians: a
cryptic connection
48
Global Amphibian BioBlitz
51
Planning Amphibian Conservation
in Mexico
53
ARMI (Amphibian Research and
Monitoring Initiative): Founded
Locally; Engaging Globally
GLOBAL N EW S
FrogLog Vol. 97 | July 20 11|3
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S
ub-Sahara Africa is a focus for this issue of Froglog. In April I had
a chance to visit Tanzania to m eet with m em bers of Conservation
International’s Tropical Ecology Assessm ent and Monitoring Network
from across the world. In particular, there were African site m anagers
from Cam eroon, Dem ocratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, South
Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. It was a privilege to be with researchers
and conservation area m anagers who invest tim e and energy every day to
gather the inform ation needed to m anage wisely Africa’s natural resources.
Coincidentally, the 12 J uly 20 11 issue of Nature also highlights Africa,
where so m uch of the continent’s biology is still waiting to be discovered. I
hope that you will enjoy all of the stories and reports in this Froglog issue,
but in particular those from our colleagues in Africa.
A report on the 20 11 Sabin Award honorees is an especially bright spot in this
issue. Alonso Quevedo and J onh J airo Mueses Cisneros have invested time
and energy to advance amphibian research and conservation in Colombia.
Their pioneering work bridges the gap between science and conservation with
the aim of protecting some of the most threatened species and habitats in the
world. There is a lot that we can all learn from the deep commitment that these
two investigators have made to understand the causes of global amphibian
decline and extinction while also helping to conserve the most endangered
species.
Finally, here are a few thoughts on Froglog itself. Froglog began as the
newsletter of the Declining Amphibians Population Task Force (DAPTF).
The newsletter was started by DAPTF’s Board of Directors to keep our
community informed regarding the most recent work on amphibian research
and conservation. The goal was not to be another peer-reviewed publication.
The current editorial group endorses this mission. We are interested in news,
views, reports, and any other messages you feel will foster amphibian research,
conservation, outreach, and the ASG network. We feel that this particular
issue of Froglog begins to strike the balance we want of some international/
general articles with most focusing on the work of regional groups. While we
edit submissions for content and presentation, we do not submit them to the
rigorous peer review typical of our best scientific publications.
Froglog is your newsletter, so please send us your articles and your ideas for
stories, reports, or news items that you would like to see covered in future
editions.
ASG Updates
T
he Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA) is a new initiative set-up by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to coordinate and magnify conservation efforts to stop and reverse the ongoing crisis of global amphibian declines.The first release of the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA)
in late 20 0 4 led to an immediate response by the conservation community. By September 20 0 5 the IUCN-SSC and Conservation International had convened an Amphibian Conservation Summit to determine the best way forward. Two main results of the Summit were (i) the creation of the Amphibian Specialist Group of the IUCN-SSC (www.amphibians.org) and (ii) the publication of a well-formulated Amphibian Conservation Action Plan in 20 0 7 (ACAP, http:/ / www.amphibians.org/ ASG/ Publications), which outlines the steps needed to understand, halt, and control this crisis. The ACAP, which has a 5-year price tag of over US$ 40 0 million, highlights eleven thematic areas relevant to amphibian conservation and provides guidance for implementing conservation actions and research initiatives at all scales, from local to global. Unfortunately, in spite of such an excellent road map, progress has been slow and intermittent, and a shortage of funds dedicated to amphibian conservation has made the
implementation of the ACAP extremely difficult. However,
progress has been made to some extent for both in situ and ex situ conservation by the Amphibian Specialist Group and the
Amphibian Ark respectively. Meanwhile, between the first GAA in
20 0 4 and the most recent update, the number of species thought to be extinct increased from 122 to 168, the number of declining populations continues to increase and the threats to habitats preferred by amphibians continue unabated.
In 20 0 9, a coalition of organisations agreed to set up an inter-institutional Amphibian Survival Alliance to oversee the implementation of ACAP – focusing initially on habitat destruction and climate change, the fungal disease chytridiomycosis, and over-harvesting. This is expected to promote synergies and facilitate communications both within the amphibian community and with all the relevant stakeholders. IUCN has recently appointed Dr. J aime García-Moreno M and Dr. Phil Bishop to serve, respectively, as Executive Director and Chief Scientist of the Amphibian Survival Alliance. They will oversee the formation and coordination of a global network of partner organizations to facilitate implementation of research, conservation and assessment programs as outlined in the ACAP.
The ASA is supported by and will be working in collaboration with organizations such as Conservation International, the Zoological Society of London, the Detroit Zoological Society, the North of England Zoological Society, Wildlife Conservation Society and Frankfurt Zoo, as well as related initiatives such as the Amphibian Ark and the Amphibian Specialists Group. J aime
Garcia-Moreno will work from his office at EAZA (European
Association of Zoos and Aquaria) and is based in the Netherlands, closely collaborating with the Zoological Society of London and other partners of the Alliance. Phil Bishop will remain based at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. To contact them directly please email them at the following addresses: J aime. GarciaMoreno@iucn.org and Phil.Bishop@iucn.org.
Th e Am p h ibia n S u rviva l
Allia n ce
By Jaime Garcia-Moreno and Phil Bishop.
AS G In te rn a tio n a l S e e d Gra n t Aw a rd W in n e rs 2 0 11
B
olivia is considered one of the megadiverse countries that harbors a high number of species due to the different ecosystems present in the country; talking about Bolivian amphibians, there are more than 260 species, 60 are endemic and 54 are endangered. This high diversity and singularity contrasts with the poor knowledge and lack of conservation action to protectthem. For this reason the Bolivian Amphibian Initiative is a project aimed to generate information about Bolivian amphibian distribution, population status of endangered species, to assess the situation of Chytrid fungus in Bolivia and also to monitor and protect Bolivian endangered species, focusing on high Andean species.
We are pleased to announce the first round of recipients of the
20 11 ASG International Seed Grants. The Seed Grant program, founded by the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force, continues to be a hugely popular mechanism for kick-starting research and conservation programs that often develop into larger or longer-term projects. As always, the quality of submissions was extremely high with a wide range of projects spread across all
continents on which amphibians occur. A thread running through the recipients of this round of Seed Grants is bridging the gap between research and conservation. As amphibians continue to decline and go extinct it is important that we apply our knowledge to their protection, and it is hugely encouraging to see such an interest from the research community in spearheading efforts to conserve amphibians.
Bo livia n Am p h ibia n In itia tive
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T
he goal of this project is to start to address the criticalneed for new, effective and sustainable management strategies to prevent continued amphibian declines and extinctions due to the key threat of chytridiomycosis. Our aim is to start to understand mechanisms of immunologic resistance and their potential for use in management to improve reintroduction success. We will do this by performing in vitro laboratory experiments on captively-raised Alpine Tree frogs (Litoria verreauxii alpina) which involve exposure to the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). The project will compare immune mechanisms using metabolomics methods (not previously applied to the study of chytridiomycosis) as part of a larger existing collaborative project involving government, conservation agencies and universities. Metabolite expression will be compared between populations and experimental groups of Alpine Tree frogs with differential susceptibility and differing Bd exposure histories. This will allow us to develop an understanding
of how metabolite profiles differ between 1) infected and control
frogs, 2) populations of frogs exhibiting differences in innate immunity (naive and long-infected populations), and possibly 3) frogs exhibiting adaptive immunity (vaccination via live exposure
and treatment) with those exposed to chytrid fungus for the first
time. Metabolite data will be compared between experimental groups, and correlated with clinical evidence of infection status (via quantitative PCR zoospore equivalent swab results) to yield important information not only about basic biochemical pathways operating within the skin of both infected and control frogs, and also identify potential immune mechanisms which may play important roles in resistance to chytridiomycosis.
U n d e rs ta n d in g im m u n ity to ch ytrid io m yco s is to im p ro ve re in tro d u ctio n
s u cce s s
By Laura Grogan, Scott Cashins, Lee Skerratt, Lee Berger, Rick Speare & Erica Rosenblum
This project has four components: Re s e a rch; providing data about amphibian diversity, population status, ecology, natural history and is trying to assess the real situation of Chytrid fungus in Bolivia. Ca p a city bu ild in g; training a number of people from local communities, park rangers and young biologists in
herpetological methods so to that will learn about amphibian their conservation situation and will acquire skills to work in amphibian conservation in a near future. Ed u ca tio n ; raising awareness about the amphibians and their diversity, situation and conservation work we are developing to protect them, and carrying out different activities designed for local communities, kids from schools and protected areas staff. Ca p tive bre e d in g of endangered amphibians; we are working mainly with the high Andean species of the genus Telmatobius with the purpose to increase knowledge about these species and also for conservation and education purposes.
A
nsonia latidisca, is an endangered species of tropical bufonid (Inger et al. 20 0 4), currently known from two locations in the northwestern corner of Borneo. Prior to our discovery, this species was known from only three individuals. The holotype, an adult male, was collected by J ohann Gottfried Hallier (1868– 1932), a botanical assistant at the Buitenzorg (at present Bogor) Herbarium, from the summit of Gunung Damus (Kalimantan, Indonesia), the paratype, a female, taken by Robert Walter Campbell Shelford (1872– 1912), entomologist with the Sarawak Museum, from Gunung Penrissen (Sarawak, Malaysia), in addition to a third specimen from the latter locality, collected by Eric Georg Mjöberg (1882– 1938), Curator of the Sarawak Museum. Listed as one of the ‘World’s Top 10 Most Wanted Lost Frogs’ by the IUCN/ SSC Global Amphibian Specialist Group and Conservation International, A. latidisca has not been sighted since the late 1920 s (see Inger 1966; Inger et al. 20 0 4). The only published literature is the original description of Inger (1966), who referred to it as a montane species, with the holotype collected at about 1,20 0 m asl and the paratype at 1,30 0 m asl. The species is considered valid (see Manthey and Grossmann 1997; Matsui et al. 20 0 9), and is listed as Endangered in Stuart et al. (20 0 8) “in view of its extent of occurrence of less than 5,0 0 0 km2 and area of occupancy of less than 50 0 km2, with all individualsin fewer than five locations, and a continuing decline in the extent
and quality of its habitat”.
The 1,329 m Gunung Penrissen (Fig. 1) dominates western Sarawak, and forms the boundary between Malaysia’s Sarawak State and Indonesia’s Kalimantan Barat Province, and is drained mainly by Sungei Semadang and the headwaters of the Batang Kayan. The geology of this sandstone massif has been investigated by Wilford and Kho (1965), and comprises a matrix of sandstone and karst features, rising to the rugged ridges of the Penrissen
range. The first and till now only multitaxic biotic inventory was
conducted by Robert Shelford, on behalf of the Sarawak Museum, starting 5 May 1899 (described in Shelford 1916). Although Shelford’s own interest was entomology (see Shelford 190 1b),
significant herpetological material was collected, which formed
the basis of a couple of papers (Shelford 190 1a; 190 5), and others appear in list of material examined (e.g., Smith 1925; Inger 1966). Early collections of Shelford and his successors continue to form the mainstay in terms of material for research on various taxonomic groups of plants and animals of Gunung Penrissen.
Penrissen lies outside the protected area system of Sarawak, but is listed among the Important Bird Areas of the world by BirdLife International (www.birdlife.org). Threats to the area include resort development, poaching and habitat fragmentation (Anon. 20 10 a). The area has a long history of agriculture, especially rice, although rubber and pepper are also grown in all except the steepest terrain. Extraction of metallic and non-metallic minerals may also comprise a threat to the landscape in the future. Major development projects commenced in the Gunung Penrissen area in the last decade, with the view of promoting ecotourism and golf-tourism, the environmental effects of which remain largely unstudied. The 2,0 71 hectare resort, now operational close to the summit (at ca. 1,0 0 0 m asl), was planned by a Hawaii-based consortium (Tongg Clarke & McCelvey), and included an ambitious plan of development, including removal of most of the native vegetation, which was replaced largely with an 18-hole
golf course and a 25 acre area of ‘flower garden and theme parks’
(Anon. 20 10 b). Baseline information on Penrissen’s biodiversity is, however, meagre, the existing information stemming from Shelford’s collection based on a single visit to these mountains (described in Shelford 1899).
We have initiated field work on Gunung Penrissen since August
20 10 , in a project initiated by The Search for Lost Frogs’ campaign (see www.conservation.org/ campaigns/ lost_ frogs/ Pages/ search_
Re d is co ve ry o f o n e o f th e w o rld ’s to p 10 m o s t
w a n te d ‘Lo s t Fro gs ’,
A n s o n i a la t i d i s c a ,
th e Bo rn e a n
Ra in bo w To a d , o n Gu n u n g Pe n ris s e n , W e s te rn
S a ra w a k, Bo rn e o
By Pui Yong Min, Ong Jia Jet and Indraneil DasFigure 1. View of summit of Gunung Penrissen, Sarawak, type locality of
for_ lost_ amphibians.aspx), to discover populations of An son ia
latidisca, employing standard inventory techniques appropriate for forest-dwelling bufonids. We have located three individuals of A. latidisca on three different mature trees (ca. 2 m above ground) near forest trails (Figs 2– 3). Prior to this, no photograph of live A.
latidisca was available.
Of the three A. latidisca encountered, OJ J -0 0 0 9 is a juvenile, measuring 30 .14 mm in snout-vent length (SVL). OJ J -0 0 10 and OJ J -0 0 11 are male (SVL 42.6 mm) and female (SVL 51.8 mm), respectively. The single male found show a distinctive vocal sac and developed testes. The female carries unripe ova, suggestive of reproduction later in the year.
The description by Inger (1966) of A. latidisca match our specimens, with the male being smaller with a vocal sac and nuptial pads not visible. Our sample agrees further with the original description in showing large body size (in the female), exposed tympanum, dilated
finger tips, elongate limbs and lack
of tarsal fold. We consequently announce the rediscovery of Ansonia latidisca after its last collection in 1924.
In a recently published molecular
phylogeny of the genus An son ia (see Matsui et al. 20 10 ), we did
not include A. latidisca for lack of genetic material. However, an examination of its morphology indicates that the relation of this taxon may ultimately lie with another group of bufonids (including the bright dorsal pigmentation, elongate limbs, spatulate digit tips, and arboreal habits). Another Bornean bufonid, An son ia an otis Inger, Tan, and Yambun 20 0 1 and Pedostibes maculatus
(Mocquard 1890 ), have been shown to be the same biological species, and has been allocated to a new genus- Sabahphrynus Matsui et al. (20 0 7). An son ia latidisca shares may characters
with this taxon, differing in showing a tympanic annulus. Thus warrant further systematic work,
including reevaluation of both its generic assignment (An son ia)
and consequently, of its suggested common English name (“stream toad”).
Prior to the establishment of the Borneo Highlands Hornbill Golf & J ungle Club in 20 0 0 , the low and mid-elevation of Gunung Penrissen was extensively logged, restricting intact vegetation largely to the upper montane habitats. Although these forests have since been maintained as a reserve and as catchment area, habitat fragmentation may threaten Figure 3. Head in lateral view of adult female Ansonia latidisca.
the long-term survival of A. latidisca. The species is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List (see Inger et al. 20 0 4), but is not protected under the Sarawak Wildlife Ordinance 1998. We refrain from divulging the exact site of observation, owing to the intense demand for brightly-coloured amphibians by collectors who supply the pet trade, locally and internationally (see Stuart et
al. 2006 for justification).
Ackn o w le d gm e n ts
Funding support for field research came from the “Lost Frogs”
campaign of Conservation International, in partnership with the IUCN Global Amphibian Specialist Group and the Global Wildlife Conservation, as well as a grant from Shell Chair (SRC/ 0 5/ 20 10 [0 1]), administered by the Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. We are grateful to Robin Moore, Don Church, and Nicolette Roach for support. For institutional support, we thank the Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, and our Director, Andrew Alek Tuen. Bernard Tiang, Cynthia Baring-Gould and Ramona Ngalih, of the Borneo Highlands Hornbill Golf & J ungle Club, provided us logistic support. We also thank David J . Gower for images and data associated with the long-preserved BMNH specimens of “Ansonia” latidisca. Finally, we thank the Sarawak Forest Department and Sarawak Forestry Corporation for permission (no. NCCD.90 7.4.4(V)-20 2) to conduct research.
For more information please contact Indraneil Das: idas@ibec.
un im as.m y
Lite ra tu re Cite d
Anon. 20 10 a. Important bird areas (IBAs). BirdLife International (http:/ / www. birdlife.org). Accessed 12 May 20 10 .
Anon. 20 10 b. Landscape Master Plans- Recent and featured projects. Tongg Clarke & McCelvey, Landscape Architects (http:/ / www.tcmhawaii.com/ 3.2-LandsMasterPlans.html). Accessed 12 May 20 10 .
Inger, R.F. 1966. The systematics and zoogeography of the Amphibia of Borneo. Fieldiana Zoology 52:1– 40 2.
Inger, R., Das, I. Stuebing, R., Lakim, M. & Yambun, P. 20 0 4. Ansonia latidisca. In: IUCN 20 11. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 20 11.1. <www. iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 J une 20 11.
Manthey, U. & Grossmann, W. 1997. Amphibien & Reptilien Südostasiens. Natur und Tier, Münster. 512 pp.
Matsui, M., Tominaga, A., Liu, W. Khonsue, W. Grismer, L.L. Diesmos, A.C., Das, I., Sudin, A., Yambun, P., Yong, H.-S., Sukumaran, J . & Brown, R.M. 20 10 . Phylogenetic relationships of An son ia from Southeast Asia inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences: systematic and biogeographic implications (Anura: Bufonidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 54:561– 570 .
Shelford, R.W.C. 1899. A trip to Mount Penrissen. The Sarawak Gazette 29:235– 237.
Shelford, R.W.C. 190 1a. On two new snakes from Borneo. Annals & Magazine of Natural History, Series 7 8:516– 517.
Shelford, R.W.C. 1901b. A list of the butterflies of Mt. Penrissen, Sarawak, with
notes on the species. J ournal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 35:29– 42.
Shelford, R.W.C. 190 5. A new lizard and a new frog from Borneo. Annals & Magazine of Natural History, Series 7 15:20 8– 210 .
Shelford, R.W.C. 1916. A naturalist in Borneo. T. Fisher Unwin Ltd., London. Reprinted, Oxford University Press, Singapore. 331 pp.
Smith, M.A. 1925. Contribution to the herpetology of Borneo. Sarawak Museum J ournal 3:15– 34.
Stuart, B.L., Rhodin, A.G.J., Grismer, L.L. & Hansel, T. 2006. Scientific
description can imperil species. Science 312:1137.
Stuart, S., Hoffmann, M., Chanson, J .S., Cox, N.A., Berridge, R.J ., Ramani, P. & Young, B.E. (Eds.). 20 0 8. Threatened amphibians of the world. Lynx Ediciones, Barcelona/ IUCN- The World Conservation Union, Conservation International and NatuServe, Washington, D.C. 758 pp.
Wilford, G.E. & Kho, C.H. 1965. Penrissen area, west Sarawak, Malaysia.
Geological Survey, Borneo Region, Malaysia. Report 2. Government Printing Office,
Kuching. xiii + 195 pp.
S
ince the ASG released the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan (ACAP) in 20 0 6 as a blueprint for tackling the more pressing threats to amphibians worldwide, we have been working to address one of the most pressing long-term threats to the survival of many species: habitat loss. Amphibians, with their typically small home ranges, fall through the gaps in protected area coverage and are under huge pressure from the unabated destruction and alteration of habitat worldwide. With the generous support of Andrew Sabin and the Sabin Family Foundation, George Meyer and Maria Semple, we have been able to work with partners to enable the creation of some 14 new protected areas for amphibians in Latin America, Africa and Asia, home to at least 55 Threatened or endemic amphibians. Tocelebrate the successes of the past five years we have compiled
a book called “Protecting the Smaller Majority: Amphibian Conservation Case Studies” that can be viewed (and purchased) online at: http:/ / www.blurb.com/ bookstore/ detail/ 2244755. We recognize that we have a long way to go, and welcome you to join us by supporting the work of the ASG in protecting critical habitats for amphibians around the world.
In addition to his support for the creation of new Protected Areas
for amphibians, Andrew Sabin has, for the past four years, supported an annual award for amphibian conservation. The prestigious award was launched to support individuals or groups deemed to have made a particularly
significant contribution to amphibian research and/or
conservation and each year attracts an increasingly impressive and diverse suite of nominations. We are delighted to announce the recipients of the fourth annual Sabin Award for Amphibian Conservation. On J une 27 in New York, Alonso Quevedo and J onh J airo Mueses Cisneros received their award from Andrew Sabin for their contribution to the conservation of amphibians in Colombia.
Five Ye a rs o f H a bita t Pro te ctio n fo r Am p h ibia n s :
N e w Bo o k a n d S a bin Aw a rd fo r Am p h ibia n
FrogLog Vol. 97 | July 20 11|9
Ca ll fo r a p p lica tio n s :
Th e Am p h ibia n Re s e a rch a n d
Mo n ito rin g In itia tive S e e d
Gra n t Aw a rd s
Ap p ly N o w !
ARMI Seed Grant Award 2011
Read about the latest award winners in the ASG bimonthly
publication - FrogLog.
View online at
http:/ / issuu.com/ amphibiansdotorg/ docs/ froglog96
or download from
http:/ / www.amphibians.org/ ASG/ Publications
Maxwell B. J oseph - Award Winner 20 11 - The legacy of an emerging disease: post-epizootic
Historical disease prevalence, and current survival rates of a threatened amphibian (Anaxyrus canorus) with respect to chytrid infection intensity – team project awarded in 20 11.
W
e are pleased to announce a new round of ARMI Seed Grants. ARMI Seed Grants
are intended as one-time awards of between $50 0 and $20 0 0 for the support
or initiation of research that furthers the Amphibian Specialists Group’s mission
to conserve biological diversity by stimulating, developing and executing practical
programs to conserve amphibians around the world, in addition to determining the
nature, extent and causes of amphibian population declines.
The criterion for these awards is that the proposed work should be done on species or
issues of concern in the USA. ARMI is particularly interested in funding research on
potential stressors of amphibian populations. Please do not hesitate to contact Robin
Moore if you need clarification or advice. Proposals of no more than 4 pages should be
East Africa
Su b-Sa h a ra n Africa
Regional Updates
To help ASG members around to world keep up-to-date with the activities of regional ASG’s, each edition of
FrogLog focuses on one of the six geographical areas as outlined in FrogLog 96 (pg 6-7). This provides local
ASG’s with an opportunity to showcase their conservation efforts and publicize issues of concern. In this
edition we focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, a zone consisting of four ASG groups; East Africa, West and Central
Africa, Southern Africa and Madagascar.
Amphibian research in the East African region is still in an exploration and discovery phase. Many new species continue to be found and described annually.
Much of the fieldwork has been in montane
forests on the Eastern Arc Mountains and Albertine Rift. It is here that some of the most unusual discoveries have been made. In the past 10 years researchers have discovered over 40 new species, some of which are yet to be described. Emerging patterns reveal a high incidence of extreme local endemism, with some species restricted to a single valley. This further highlights the conservation importance of this archipelago of forest patches in Kenya and Tanzania, and has revealed a species diversity rivaling the much larger forests of the Albertine Rift.
Two species of caecelians, not seen since the type specimens were collected over
35 yeas ago, have been re-discovered,
during CEPF funded fieldwork in the
Taita Hills of Kenya. Local scientists and conservationists are working to restore habitat there for the Sagalla caecelian (see http:/ / www.edgeofexistence.org/ amphibian_ conservation/ sagalla_ caecilian.php).
Two CEPF funded books documenting much of the research and discovery in the Eastern Arc are available online for free download at www.cepf.net/ Documents/
bilingual_field_guide_eacf.pdf and at
http:/ / africanamphibians.lifedesks.org/
files/africanamphibians/Measey_et_
al_ 20 0 9_ 56-66_ taita.pdf
Efforts continue in the region to map the distribution of the Chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, but the extent and impact of chytridiomycosis on amphibian populations has not yet been determined. However, detrimental effects on vulnerable local populations have been observed in the dramatic decline and
extinction in the wild of the Kihansi Spray Toad, Nectophrynoides asperginus. Ex-situ conservation efforts for this species continue in the US and Tanzania, and captive breeding facilities have been set up at the University of Dar es Salaam and the Kihansi Gorge. An attempt at reintroduction of this iconic species back into the wild will take place.
Even as new species are documented and long-lost ones re-discovered, threats to their are mounting. Human population pressure Eastern Arc Albertine Rift montane forests is huge. Habitat destruction through clearance of forests and understory for farming continues in many places and artisanal mining poses a growing threat to drainage systems and wetlands even in the most remote parts of the Albertine Rift forests.
D a vid Mo ye r ( Ch a ir) , Ea s t Africa Am p h ibia n Sp e cia lis t Gro u p .
The Sagalla caecilian, Boulengerula neideni, is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM.
Only discovered in 20 0 4, this species inhabits areas of rich, fertile soil within 30 km2 of Sagalla Hill, an isolated mountain in southeast Kenya. Subterranean, rarely encountered and regularly mistaken as an earthworm, the Sagalla caecilian is one of
the most threatened amphibians on the planet.
Conversion of much of the indigenous forest to Eucalyptus plantation has led to a loss of habitat over most of its range. In remaining areas soil erosion due to poor farming practices has seen the disappearance of this species from an increasing area of otherwise suitable terrain.
This is an EDGE focal species and current projects aim to replant indigenous forest and remove alien Eucalyptus. Farmers are being taught better agricultural practice and there is real hope that active
conservation of this species will benefit all
inhabitants of this Eastern Arc Mountain biodiversity hotspot.
Southern Africa
Rw a n d a - On a recent visit to Rwanda I was disturbed to see the impact habitat
modification has had, particularly on the
fragile Eastern Albertine Rift ecosystem.
The Gishwati forest in north-western Rwanda – a vast extent of endangered highland rainforest second in size only to the Nyungwe forest - was hastily settled by refugees after the genocide. Every single
tree was cut down for firewood or building
materials within the space of a year. The land was hastily partitioned to grow crops, and now widespread erosion washes away millions of tons of topsoil with every rain. Villages in the region are particularly
prone to landslides and fields, roads and
houses are suffocated by tons of silt.
Siltation is a major problem with all streams and rivers outside of Nyungwe forest. It has been suggested that siltation is a contributory factor in the decline of stream-dwelling frogs such as the Kloof Frog Natalobatrachus bonebergi in South Africa (Kok & Seaman 1989). In the western highlands of Rwanda several species of Phrynobatrachus, Afrana and Hyperolius occupy the same habitat, or have similar modes of oviposition, and my expectation is that they are now extinct outside of Nyungwe. Lake Karago, which was once pretty enough for the president of Rwanda to have his holiday home there, is now a muddy puddle, two thirds its original size due to the great silt delta that threatens eventually to choke it to death. Lake Karago is the type locality for Ptychadena chrysogaster.
Another chronic problem is that of
overpopulation, with over 9 million people, the vast majority of whom follow a rural way of life, occupying a country the size of Wales. Because land is at a premium, even the uppermost slopes and crests of the mountains have been planted. The result of this homogenization of the environment is a gradual replacement of specialised amphibian species by ‘generalised’, highly-adaptive and generally wide-ranging forms.
Although the last president decreed a tree-planting day once a month, this was to provide for practical needs for building
timber and firewood – not ecological
replenishment. The trees are Australian bluegum (Eucalyptus) and conifers, which grow faster than indigenous species. They have no ecological value, but in replacing
the indigenous species they are positively detrimental to ecological diversity, since their vegetation is unpalatable to African animals and very few plant species can coexist with them. Indigenous forests and stands of bamboo have been lost, and now probably only exist in their natural state in Nyungwe forest. The effects on species such as Callixalus pictus (which was described from Lutshiro in Rwanda) must be devastating.
Lite ra tu re Cite d
Kok, D.J , & M.T. Seaman, 1989. Aspects of the biology, habitat requirements and conservation status of Natalobatrachus bonebergi (Anura: Ranidae). Lammergeyer 41: 10 – 17.
Ma rtin Picke rs gill, Ea s t Africa Am p h ibia n Sp e cia lis t Gro u p .
A meeting of the region’s amphibian specialists in December 20 0 9 led to the re-assessment of South Africa’s threatened amphibians by the South African Frog Re-assessment Group (SA-FRoG) and IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. FrogLog (95:6-7) featured an article on this new Red List and a strategy document which outlines conservation research for the next
five years in South Africa (Measey 2011:
download a pdf for free at www.sanbi. org). Ongoing Red List work focuses on updating the database for South Africa’s Least Concern species, and extending the Red List update to the rest of the southern Africa region (Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola and Malawi). This will certainly be a more demanding task as the ASG is currently lacking any incountry southern African members from outside of South Africa.
West and Central
Africa
After extended periods, where amphibian research in West and Central Africa was conducted by a few researchers only, it is very enjoyable to see that this has changed. Although this region comprises many of the poorest countries of the
World, often being afflicted with civil wars,
more and more herpetologists become aware of the lack of knowledge, and thus
likewise the huge scientific potential in
this region. It is even more enjoyable to see that this interest not only arouses in researchers and students from overseas,
but likewise within the countries scientific
communities.
A variety of research groups and
individuals are now filling the
many faunistic and taxonomic gaps and investigate the phylogeny and biogeography of western African amphibians. The same and other researchers, however, also start investigating amphibians from a conservation point of view. For instance the Nigerians A. Onadeko (University of Lagos) and M. Aisien (University of Benin)
are exploring the influence of habitat
(vegetation zones) and anthropgenic habitat alteration on amphibian communities. Similarly C. Boateng and G. Adum, both from the University of Kumasi in Ghana, compare the effect of fragmentation on amphibians in different forest types and the recovery potential of leaf litter frog assemblages after selective logging.
Several groups also started to search for
Bd, with very different results. However,
it seems that chytrid is not (yet) a pressing problem in this part of the continent. Even a mass mortality event of a Cameroonian frog, Xenopus longipes, endemic to one mountain volcanic lake, showed no sign of Bd being involved. The last species and
the viviparous Nimba Toads (investigated by T. Doherty-Bone and L. Sandberger, respectively), are the only two anuran species for which more comprehensive
research programs, with a species specific
conservation goal, has been established in the region.
Whereas some species, i.e. Hyperolius nimbae, could be retraced during the recent “Search for the lost frogs” program, others couldn’t. The by far largest threat to western African amphibians is habitat degradation and conversion (in most West African countries less than 10 % of the original forest cover still exists and many mountainous regions are currently explored for mining), probably resulting in the loss of many species before these
have been even documented scientifically.
More research programs, basic and applied ones, and more national and international funding initiatives thus are urgently needed.
Anyone interested should please contact the chair!
The response to the strategy document from South African stakeholders has led to some important developments. In Kwa-Zulu Natal, North-West University’s amphibian researchers have teamed up with the Provincial nature authority (Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife) to investigate all occupied areas and threats to the Province’s Critically Endangered Pickersgill’s reed frog (Hyperolius pickersgilli), together with the other threatened species. New role players have also emerged, such as the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT, a local NGO) which is currently putting together an active conservation plan for amphibians in the region. In the Western Cape, South African National Parks have teamed up with SANBI and CapeNature to provide a multi-stakeholder approach to some of the most threatened amphibians there (see Turner et al this issue; Measey & Davies, this issue).
ASG members are also active with amphibian monitoring (e.g. the Endangered Hewitt’s Ghost Frog: see Conradie, this issue) especially in relation to disease, with researchers from North-West University at the fore-front of assessing the status of the fungal disease, chytridiomycosis. Two academic meetings in South Africa in the past 12 months have seen southern African members of the ASG
congregating with the inevitable benefits
gained by the shared knowledge. In J une 20 10 , the 10 th African Amphibian Working Group (AAWG) met in Cape Town and in J anuary 20 11, at the biannual conference of the Herpetological Association of Africa. The next AAWG will be in Trento, Italy (28th May - 31st May) 20 12 (details will be posted on www.africanherpetology.org), where we look forward to meeting all those interested in African amphibians.
Lite ra tu re Cite d
Measey, G. J . ed. (20 11). Ensuring a future for South Africa’s frogs: a strategy for conservation research on South African amphibians. SANBI Biodiversity Series. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute. Download a free pdf at www.sanbi.org
Jo h n Me a s e y, So u th e rn Africa Am p h ibia n Sp e cia lis t Gro u p .
Mo za m biqu e- In J anuary 20 12 I will be undertaking a herpetological survey of the Zambezia highlands of north-western Mozambique as part of an international
Madagascar
Madagascar is a country well-known for its biodiversity (Thompson et al., 20 11) and especially for its amphibian’s of which nearly 278 species are found nowhere else in the world (99.6 %) and 150 species are still waiting to be described (Vietes et al, 20 0 9).
This high number of amphibians has lead
to a particular interest in the scientific
community, as evident in the large number of papers published in the recent
years and to a rapid succession of
field-guides produced (Glaw & Vences, 1992, 1994, 20 0 7). The interest in amphibian conservation was driven by the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force (DAPTF), transformed into IUCN/ SSC Amphibian Specialist Group in 20 0 7. Two of us (HR, FA) were designated as the Chairs of the DAPTF/ ASG for Madagascar with the responsibility of coordinating major activities, and promoting general awareness of amphibian conservation related issues.
Following the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan meeting held in Washington DC in 20 0 5 (Gascon et al., 20 0 7), it was decided to start with a more-in-depth project to boost amphibian conservation efforts in Madagascar. To achieve these
results, a specific workshop entitled “A
Conservation Strategy for the Amphibians of Madagascar” was organized in
Antananarivo 18-21 September 20 0 6 (Fig. 1), to discuss and take actions for amphibian conservation. After this workshop, an initiative (ACSAM) was pursued by the ASG, in order to Figure 1. ACSAM’s logo. Credit Franco Andreone.
Figure 2. Sahonagasy action plan booklet. Credit Franco Andreone.
team of herpetologists. We will be building
on work on the butterflies and flora of the
region by Timberlake, Bayliss and others who regard this as a unique ecoregion, inclusive of Mount Mulanje to the west. Our aim is to catalogue the species
richness of the area, the extent of gene flow
between the isolated highlands, and the
effect of habitat modification on species
assemblages.
Lite ra tu re Cite d
Timberlake, J .R., Dowsett-Lemaire, F., Bayliss, J ., Alves T., Baena, S., Bento, C., Cook, K., Francisco, J ., Harris, T., Smith, P. & de Sousa, C. (20 0 9). Mt Namuli, Mozambique: Biodiversity and Conservation. Report produced under the Darwin Initiative Award 15/ 0 36. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. 114 pp.
Timberlake, J .R., Bayliss, J ., Alves T., Baena, S., Francisco, J ., Harris, T. & da Sousa, C. (20 0 7). The Biodiversity and Conservation of Mount Chiperone, Mozambique. Report produced under the Darwin Initiative Award 15/ 0 36. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. pp. 33.
Lis t o f re ce n t p u blica tio n s :
Pickersgill, M., 20 0 7. A Rwandan Sojourn. Herptile 32(1): 12 – 23.
Pickersgill, M., 20 0 7. Frog Search: Results of expeditions to Southern and Eastern Africa. Chimaira, 574pp.
Pickersgill, M., 2007. A redefinition of Afrixalus
fulv ov ittatus (Cope, 1860 ) and Afrixalus vittiger (Peters, 1876) (Amphibia, Anura, Hyperoliidae). African Journal of Herpetology 56: 23 – 37.
Pickersgill, M., 20 0 8. “Frog Search” – Synonymy of Phrynobatrachus nigripes Pickersgill, 20 0 7, plus other comments and corrections. Zootaxa 1820 : 67 – 68.
prepare and put in practice the action plan. ASG Madagascar strives to raise amphibian conservation to the next level by stimulating, developing, and executing practical programs to conserve amphibians and their habitats in Madagascar with all Malagasy stakeholders and foreigners who work with amphibians and biodiversity by avoiding or mitigating threats affecting amphibian populations. In particular, regarding the Madagascar species:
By conserving Malagasy amphibians over the long-term through raising public
awareness and set aside areas specifically
dedicated to protecting amphibians;
Promoting the implementation of the Sahonagasy Action Plan (SAP, Fig. 2), one of the products of ACSAM initiative (A Conservation Strategy for the amphibians of Madagascar).
The SAP outlines the following strategic directions for amphibian conservation in Madagascar (for details see www. Sahomagasy.org ):
Coordination of research and
•
conservation activities;
Monitoring Madagascar’s
•
amphibians;
Managing emerging amphibian
•
diseases;
Climate change and amphibians;
•
Management of focal amphibian
•
sites for conservation;
Harvesting and trade of amphibians;
•
Captive breeding and other zoo
•
actions;
Development of a unified •
herpetological collection.
Since the launching of the amphibian program in 20 0 8 at Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza (PBZT, Antananarivo), many actions have been achieved especially on focal areas of amphibians, but more work is needed especially on captive breeding projects, chytrid programs, climate change, and herpetological collections.
With close collaboration between ASG
Madagascar and its partners, such as MATE (Man and the Environment), MAVOA (Madagasikara Voakajy), Conservation International, Madagascar National Park and VIF (Vondron’ Ivon’ny Fampandrosoana, a Community Development based- group), all of the six critically endangered amphibian species from Madagascar are either under Protected Areas (Stumpffia helenae, Cophyla berara) or Temporary Protected areas (Mantella mylotympanum, M. aurantiaca, M. cowani) or in new protected area in progress (Boophis williamsi, Mantidactylus pauliani) (Fig. 3).
The programs working with ASG Madagascar are listed below with a map showing distribution (Fig. 4):
Fohisokina project to conserve
•
Mantella cowani with local population participation
Mangabe project to conserve
•
Mantella aurantiaca
Corridor Ankeniheny-Zahamena for
•
Mantella mylotympanum Ankaratra project for
• Boophis
williamsi and Mantidactylus pauliani Sahamalaza New protected area for
•
Cophyla berara
Ambohitantely Special Reserve for
•
Stumpffia helenae
Start with Captive breeding in
•
Andasibe with Mitsinjo Association Chytrid program with Emergent Cell
•
Team
Village tomato frogs for
• Discophus
Figure 3. Critically endangered amphibian species from Madagascar Cophyla berara, Mantella mylotympanum, M. aurantiaca, M. cowani, Boophis williamsi and Mantidactylus pauliani. Credit: Franco Andreone.
September 20 11 - Mainland Asia
November 20 11 - Maritime Southeast Asia and Oceania
J anuary 20 12 - South America
March 20 12 - Europe, North Africa and West Asia
May 20 12 - North and Central America and the Caribbean
J uly 20 12 - Sub Saharan Africa
September 20 12 - Mainland Asia
November 20 12 - Maritime Southeast Asia and Oceania
J anuary 20 13 - South America
FrogLog Schedule
an ton gili monitoring and conservation
The role of the ASG is to check if theses
amphibian programs fit with Sahonagasy
action plan and coordinate all activities related to amphibians by organizing meeting, disseminating information by mail groups or websites, such as
www.Sahonagasy.org, working with all stakeholders and helping to fundraise for
all activities identified during ACSAM.
Ackn o w le d ge m e n ts
Thanks to the Parc Botanique et
Zoologique de Tsimbazaza, Département de Biologie Animale, Madagascar National Parks, and the Direction des Eaux et Forêts for permissions to work in Madagascar.
Fieldwork was financially supported
by several organisations and groups, such as Acquario di Genova, Amphibian Specialist Group, Andy Sabin Family Foundation, Conservation International, Declining Amphibian Population Task Force, Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund, European Association of Zoos and Aquaria,
Gondwana Conservation and Research, IUCN Small Ecosystem Project Grant, Madagascar Fauna Group, Madagascar Institut pour la Conservations des Ecosystèmes Tropicaux, Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Nando Peretti Foundation, the National Science Foundation, Van Thienhoven Foundation, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and Wildcare Institute. Among the many people with whom we repeatedly discussed about the effectiveness of amphibian conservation in Madagascar and whom we thank for their insights are O. Behra, Ch.P. Blanc, A. Bollen, N. Cox, K. Freeman, F, Glaw, J . Glos, V. Mercurio, J . Noël, R. A. Nussbaum, F. Rabemananjara, J . E. Randrianirina, G. M. Rosa, A. Sarovy, S. N. Stuart, and M. Vences.
Lite ra tu re cite d
Gascon, C., Collins, J . P., Moore, R. D., Church, D. R., McKay, J . E. and Mendelson, J . R. III (eds). (20 0 7). Amphibian Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/ SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. 64pp.
Glaw F., and Vences M., 1992, Glaw, F. & M. Vences
(1992b): A Fieldguide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. – Vences & Glaw Verlags GbR, Köln, 331 S. + 16 colour plates.
Glaw F., and Vences M., 1994, Glaw, F. & M. Vences (1994): A Fieldguide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, 2nd edition. – Vences & Glaw Verlag, Köln, 480 pp.
Glaw F., and Vences M., 20 0 7, Glaw, F. & M. Vences
(2007): A field guide to the amphibians and reptiles of
Madagascar. Third edition. Cologne, Vences & Glaw Verlag, 495 pp.
Thompson C., Bogaert O., Hughes R., Lippuner M.,
Ramahaleo T., and Rafiadana-Ntsoa S.(2011). Treasure
Island: New biodiversity on Madagascar (1999 – 20 10 ). Species report of WWF Madagascar & West Indian
Ocean Programme Office. Or in http://madagascar.
panda.org/ ourwork/ cssp/ species_ report/ Vieites D. R., Wollenberg K. C., Andreone F., Köhler J ., Glaw F., and Vences M. (20 0 9). Vast underestimation of Madagascar’s biodiversity evidenced by an integrative amphibian inventory: 1-6. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Nirhy Rabibisoa (Executive Secretary), Herilala Randriamahazo Chair), and Franco Andreone (Co-Chair), Madagascar Amphibian Specialist Group.
Regional Insight
I
n J une, 20 11, the Lower Kihansi Environmental Management Program of Tanzania’s National Environment Management Council and the IUCN/ SSC Amphibian Specialist Group published the Kihansi Spray Toad Re-introduction Guidelines (http:/ / www.amphibians.org/ASG/Publications_files/KST%20
reintro%20 guide.pdf). Contributors included representatives from several agencies within the Tanzanian government, universities, NGOs, and zoological institutions.
The Kihansi Spray Toad, Nectophrynoides asperginis, is endemic to 2.0 hectares Kihansi Gorge of south-central Tanzania. The toad was believed to be extirpated from the area in 20 0 3 and was declared Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN in October 20 0 9. The decline of the species followed dam construction from 1996– 20 0 0 and
coincided with the emergence of the amphibian chytrid fungus
in the population, and the flushing of sediments into the gorge in
J une 20 0 3. At the invitation of the Tanzanian Government, 499 toads were collected and transferred to the Bronx Zoo to initiate a captive breeding program in 20 0 0 . Currently, over 6,0 0 0 toads are housed by Bronx and Toledo Zoos in the USA, and at a captive breeding facility at the University of Dar es Salaam.
A Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) workshop held in Bagamoyo Tanzania in May 20 0 7. One of the primary challenges addressed during the 20 0 7 PHVA meeting was increasing the size of the captive population. Since this
meeting, the captive population has grown, providing a large enough stock maintained in biosecure facilities to return approximately 2,0 0 0 animals to Tanzania annually.
The recently published Kihansi Spray Toad Re-introduction Guidelines makes
specific recommendations for the
re-introduction of the species to the Kihansi Gorge, taking into account the current situation of a large captive population and new information about the state of the Kihansi Gorge’s environment. The guidelines resulted from the Kihansi Spray Toad Re-introduction Workshop that was held in Dar es Salaam in February 20 10 . The workshop was facilitated by Cuthbert Nahonyo from the University of Dar es Salaam and attended by over 76 people. Several Tanzanian governmental and nongovernmental entities were represented including the Lower Kihansi
Environment Management Project (LKEMP) and other programs within the National Environment Management Council (NEMC), Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Division of Wildlife, TANESCO, University of Dar es Salaam, and Sokoine University. International participants included representatives from WCS-Bronx Zoo, Toledo Zoo, San Diego Zoo, Amphibian Ark, Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, North West University, IUCN/ SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group, IUCN/ SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, State University of New York, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, and the World Bank.
Kih a n s i S p ra y To a d Re -in tro d u ctio n Gu id e lin e s
By Don Church
T
he West African fauna is often considered a subset of Central Africa, instead of being distinct. We used data on 120 amphibian assemblages from all over sub-Saharan Africa to test whether West Africa may be regarded an own bioregion. Our results showed that West Africa is indeed an own bioregion, at least concerning amphibians. West African savanna and forest amphibian assemblages grouped together, hence, sharing more similarities in species composition than e.g. West and Central African forest assemblages. The border between West and Central African assemblages is the Cross River in eastern Nigeria.Within West Africa we detected several sub-regions which are mainly explained by the presence of major rivers. One possible explanation for the observed pattern in species assemblages may
be differences in the evolutionary history of West African rivers compared to Central Africa ones. The former are believed to have persisted over time and therefore provided consistent barriers, savanna and forest assemblages evolving together. Central African rivers are thought to have been less stable and hence being porous barriers.
For more details see: Penner, J ., Wegmann, M., Hillers, A., Schmidt, M., & Rödel, M.-O. (20 11). A hotspot revisited - a biogeographical analysis of West African amphibians. Diversity & Distributions. DOI: 10 .1111/ j.1472-4642.20 11.0 0 80 1.x.
Author details: Johannes Penner - Johannes.penner@mfn-berlin. de; Mark-Oliver Rödel - mo.roedel@mfn-berlin.de
Bio ge o gra p h y o f W e s t Africa n a m p h ibia n a s s e m bla ge s
By Johannes Penner, Martin Wegmann, Annika Hillers, Michael Schmidt & Mark-Oliver Rödel
KST Re-introduction Guidelines | 1
Kihansi
Spr ay Toad
T
he world’s second largest continuous tropical rain forest is found in the Congo Basin. It comprises a vast river drainage area intriguingly similar to that of the Amazon and includes more than 15 of the global WWF terrestrial ecoregions (Olson et al. 20 0 1; de Wasseige et al. 20 0 9). Fascinatingly, this notable area for tropical biodiversity harbours one of the least known herpetofaunas on our planet (Schiøtz 20 0 6; Andreone et al. 20 0 8). Most of the available knowledge derives from expeditions in the beginning of last century and a few prominent collections during the colonial regimes (e.g. Boulenger 1919; Noble 1924; Ahl 1931; Laurent 1943, 1950 , 1972). Comparing the accumulated number of described species through time from the DRC with that of Brazil (The majority of the Congo and Amazon basins respectively) providean illustration of this (fig. 1).
A clearly exponential increase in species numbers since the
fifties as observed for Brazil (as well as on global scale) has failed
to appear in the DRC. This distinct stagnation in the rate of new species described may be interpreted as actually having described everything there. However, a more plausible explanation is that the region has simply been out of reach for science due to poor infrastructure and an unpredictable security situation. Further considering the Congo basin in the context of all current knowledge of amphibian biodiversity it stands out as a rather evident research gap in Afrotropical biodiversity (Fig.2).
For a few years now we have aimed to
contribute towards filling this blind
spot - improving the understanding of the evolution, ecology and systematics of amphibians in the Congo Basin. We have been involved in different projects in cooperation with a number of African and European institutions including the Belgian Royal Institute of Science, the Belgian Royal Museum
for Central Africa, Museum Alexander Koenig and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
(Germany), Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles (DRC), and Universities of Libreville (Gabon), Kisangani and Kinshasa (DRC). We regard faunistic surveys a basic step towards any other question. So far we have been engaged in collecting and identifying species in Monts Cristal (Gabon), the Ruwenzori Mountains (Uganda), Salonga National Park and a stretch of more than 350 km of the Congo River (DRC). One of our focal groups is reed frogs, genus Hyperolius. Strictly employing an integrative taxonomic approach has revealed several conspicuous new species for the area as H. veithi (Fig. 3) from central DRC (Schick et al. 20 10 ), among others yet un-described (Fig.4). However, a major part of working in this region consists of understanding names coined with poor descriptions based on single or few specimens only ever seen in preservation. An example is Hyperolius sankuruensis (Froglog 95, p.15) which we have now collected on multiple
localities. A recent finding of this taxon initially led to the believe
Th e gre e n h e a rt o f Africa is a blin d s p o t in
h e rp e to lo gy
By Jos Kielgast & Stefan Lötters
Fig. 1, Accumulated number of species described from Brazil (blue) and what is today The Democratic Republic of the Congo (red)
Fig. 3 Hyperolius veithi. Photo: Jos Kielgast
Fig. 2 Amphibian species richness according to the Global Amphibian Assessment (IUCN). Warmer colours indicate higher number of species. The Amazon and Congo river drainages are outlined in black.
that it was new to science (Schiøtz 20 0 6) until 2 specimens collected more than 50 years ago (Laurent 1979) were examined in the Royal Museum for Central Africa and the
identity clarified. In other species
all type material has presumably
been lost and the difficult decision
remains of coining new names or designating neotypes based on poor descriptions. Hyperolius cf. brachiofasciatus (fig 5)may be considered such an example.
Strikingly this species appear to be both common and widespread in the entire Congo Basin - rather
thought-provoking that this is the first ever published photograph of such a
distinct species although it is calling loudly to be noticed all along the Congo River.
We call for a collaborative effort in exploring this neglected spot in global herpetological biodiversity. Even the most basic of
knowledge is missing and the first steps towards understanding the fauna of the region are difficult. However, the exploration of
patterns and processes of amphibian speciation, biogeography and ecology in the Congo Basin is sure to provide important insights and novel understanding of the African herpetofauna.
Author details: Jos Kielgast1 and Stefan Lötters2. 1 University
of Copenhagen, Natural History Museum of Denmark, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. joskielgast@hotmail.com. 2 Trier
University, Biogeography Department, 54286 Trier, Germany loetters@uni-trier.de.
Lite ra tu re Cite d
Ahl, E., 1931, Zur Systematik der afrikanischen Baumfroschgattung Hyperolius (Amph. Anur.), Mitteilungen des zoologischen Museums Berlin, 17, 1-132.
Andreone, F., et al. (20 0 8) Amphibians of the Afrotropical realm. In: Threatened amphibians of the world. Stuart, SN, Hoffmann, M., Chanson, J S, Cox, NA, Berridge, RJ , Ramani, P. & Young, BE (Eds). Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, in association with IUCN, Conservation International and NatureServe.
Boulenger GA (1919) Batraciens et reptiles recueillis par le Dr. C. Christy au Congo Belge dans les Districts de Stanleyville, Haut-Uelé et Ituri en 1912-1914. Revue Zoologique Africaine 7:1-29
De Wasseige, C., D. Devers, P. de Marcken, R. Eba’a Atyi, R. Nasi & P. Mayaux (20 0 9): The forests of the Congo Basin - state of the forest
2008. Publications Office of the European
Union, Luxembourg.
Laurent, R. F. 1943. Les Hyperolius (Batraciens) du Musee Congo. Annales du Musée Royal du Congo Belge. Sciences Zoologiques. Tervuren 4: 61-140 .
Laurent R (1950 ) Exploration du Parc national Albert, Mission G. F. De Witte (1933-1935). Genres Afrixalus et Hyperolius (Amphibia Salientia). Institute des Parcs Nationaux du Congo Belge 64:1-120 , 127 plates
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Schick, S., J . Kielgast, D. Rödder, V. Muchai, M. Burger & S. Lötters (20 10 ): New species of reed frog from the Congo basin with discussion of paraphyly in Cinnamon-belly reed frogs. Zootaxa, 250 1: 23-36.
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Fig. 5 Hyperolius cf. brachiofasciatus. Photo: Jos Kielgast
T
he Upper Guinean forests in West Africa are known for their high number of endemic animal and plant species (Brooks et al. 20 0 1), but face ongoing biodiversity-loss through land conversion and forest degradation (Poorter et al. 20 0 4; Ernst & Rödel 20 0 5; Ernst et al. 20 0 6; McCullough et al. 20 0 7; Hillers et al. 20 0 8). Except for combating continued forest loss, we should not forget that many plant and animal species will return to regenerating forests at some stage. In a review of 39 published studies, Dunn (20 0 4) concluded that after shifting cultivation it takes 20 -40 years for species richness to recover. Unfortunately most studies have been carried out at small spatial and temporal scales and they often lack replication (Gardner, 20 10 ). This situation restricts our ability to make predictions about species richness recovery and species conservation in secondary forests.Amphibians are very sensitive to habitat degradation (e.g., Wake 1991; Blaustein et al. 1994; Ernst et al. 20 0 6). Many endemic and range-restricted forest frogs are for example unable to
persist in logged or fragmented forests (Ernst & Rödel, 20 0 5). Therefore, amphibians could serve as meaningful indicators for the restoration of degraded forests and could be a crucial part of a biodiversity monitoring program, providing important directions for conservation.
To gather information on recovery of the species assemblage in secondary forests, I designed a monitoring program for plants
and amphibians. A first evaluation of the system was conducted
in the Ashanti Region of Ghana (West Africa). This project was conducted in collaboration with FORM Ghana Ltd, a company that started reforestation projects on a previously highly degraded Forest Reserve seven years ago. Together with local employees of FORM Ghana I extensively searched along small rivers and in swampy areas for frog and toad specimens. We visited nine such possible microhabitats during one week in November 20 10 , at the end of the raining season. I assumed that differences in results caused by variation in sampling technique and effort between collectors were smoothed out over time.
